Shared Scars
by Mionefan
Summary: An AU look at what would happen if James Potter died accidentally after Harry was born. A Lily/Sirius and Harry/Hermione story. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling I'm just playing in her sand box and make no money from this.

Rating is mature for language and violence.

Ships: Sirius Black/ Lily Evans, Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger

Characters: Sirius Black/ Lily Evans/ Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger/ Monica Granger/ Wendell Granger

* * *

**Shared Scars**

**Chapter 1: The beginnings**

James Potter had finally proposed to Lily Evans and she'd accepted. James was over the moon after finally straightening his life out and winning Lily. James readily admitted to being a bit of a show off, a git and a bully; especially when he was with his Marauder friends.

His best friend Sirius Black had been almost a brother to him since he'd run away from home after his fifth year at Hogwarts. James's father had accepted Sirius into his home even before the end of fifth year when both were sorted into Gryffindor. That was when the Black family had burned Sirius' name off the family tapestry. More properly, his mother, Walburga Black, had done that and his father had not noticed. The Black family was almost as dark as any and only the marriage of his sister Andromeda had been worse. She was promptly disowned when she married a Muggle born. Remus Lupin had joined the group at Hogwarts in their first year and they had added Peter Pettigrew in their second year.

When they discovered Remus was a werewolf, they vowed to find a way to help him and the three friends became Animagi. Remus, of course, was already a werewolf and they nicknamed him Moony. James became a stag named Prongs. Sirius was a large dog and was named Padfoot. Peter, however had a problem becoming an Animagus, but finally transformed into a rat they named Wormtail. Of the quartet, Peter was the least powerful and tended to hang around the more powerful wizards.

Lily Evans, the brightest witch in the school, initially couldn't stand James and Sirius for all their pranks and bullying. She had formed a friendship with Severus Snape before learning that she was a witch, and they could often be seen studying together. That all ended when James, Sirius and Peter had taunted Severus one too may times and when Lily tried to curse them, Severus had reacted badly, shouting that he didn't need a Mudblood to protect him.

Lily was shocked that her best friend had called her that and that was the end of their friendship.

Remus had also become a close friend of Lily and she felt sympathy for him when she learned of his lycanthropy. Remus would never forget the friendship of the only girl that knew of his condition.

As the years passed, both James and Sirius grew up. James began pursuing Lily, determined to make her his girlfriend. It was a long uphill battle, but finally he won her heart.

Sirius looked on sadly. He also loved Lily, but didn't want to interfere in James' obsessed pursuit of the girl they both fancied. He'd let Lily decide for herself and unfortunately, she eventually chose James. Oh, she liked Sirius well enough, but James had pursued her relentlessly and she finally gave in to the inevitable.

After James and Lily married, the quartet stayed close, even moving to the same neighbourhood in Godric's Hollow.

Right after their marriage, Lily found she was expecting. She was alternately nervous and deliriously happy. James had been ecstatic and wanted to share his good fortune with his wife's family. Petunia Dursley, nee Evans had married a brute of a man and Lily was unsure if they should travel to Little Whinging. After all, Voldemort was out there and they'd encountered him three times now. Albus Dumbledore had encouraged them to join his Order of Phoenix along with the other Marauders. In the end, they decided to go.

It was a stormy afternoon and raining hard when they arrived at Privet Drive. James had stopped to straighten up a bit when a brilliant bolt of lightning struck him. The loud clap of thunder was deafening and James Potter's magical core vaporized, throwing Lily well clear.

"JAMES!" she cried, but there was nothing she could do. James Potter had been reduced to a smoking hulk. Lily lost it then and collapsed as her sister Petunia and her husband Vernon ran outside to see what had happened.

Weeks later found Lily still crying over the loss of her husband. Sirius and Remus tried to comfort her with little success.

Sirius finally persuaded Lily to allow him to take care of her and so after her tears had finally ended; she took solace in the arms of her now best friend. Sirius was compassionate and although he still loved her, didn't want to push her into a relationship she wasn't ready for yet.

"Sirius, you've been good for me. I don't know how I could have survived these past months without you." Lily was now well along in her pregnancy and had confided in Sirius that she wanted to name the child Harry James if it was a boy or Harriet Jane if it was a girl.

July 31st, 1980 arrived and baby Harry James Potter was born. He was a quiet baby, which was a blessing for Lily. Harry had blue eyes, as did all babies, which changed to a brilliant green after a few months. She could see James in his features, but the green eyes were all hers.

She'd inherited everything from James, of course, but still missed James terribly. Harry was the only bright spot in her life, although Sirius was slowly becoming the new love in her life. They were together constantly and one bright day, six months after Harry was born, Sirius finally worked up the courage and asked her to marry him.

Lily was shocked. "Sirius! I-I… what? Did you just ask me to marry you?"

"Lily, I've loved you as long as James," he choked out. "James just beat me to you is all."

Lily turned white at the mention of James. "It's still too fresh, Sirius. You've been really good for me; can you give me some time?"

Reluctantly, Sirius agreed, saying, "As much time as you need, love. I'll be here for you in any case."

….

Albus Dumbledore had been interviewing for a Divination teacher and had been disinclined to hire her until she made what sounded like a real prophecy. The prophecy made in the fall of 1979 by Sybill Trelawney had changed everything when it was partially overheard by Severus Snape and reported to Voldemort. The prophecy foretold the birth of a boy 'with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord, born as the seventh month died'.

Albus knew of two boys who fit that description: The Potter Boy and the Longbottom boy. He'd have to ensure Lily's and Alice's boys were protected. The Fidelius charm should work. Now who to make the secret keeper? For the Potter boy, the obvious choice would be Sirius, but perhaps that was a bit too obvious. Peter Pettigrew would be a better choice. For the Longbottom boy, he chose Barty Crouch Jr. as the secret keeper. Both choices were to be bad choices.

….

Monica and Wendell Granger were very proud of their young daughter Hermione. Odd things seemed to happen around her. If she wanted a special toy and it was out of reach, it would come flying to her. She was a quiet girl and well behaved, but the parents were convinced that something was wrong. After visiting several doctors, one suggested they have her looked at in a special hospital. He'd guide them since they wouldn't have heard of it before. The doctor turned out to be a squib, but suspected the Grangers had a magical daughter.

Thus, October 1981 had found Lily Potter at St. Mungo's for a check-up on little Harry. The hospital was crowded that day with a lot of injuries from a Death Eater attack the night before. Harry was put in a room with several other babies, including, by happenstance, young Hermione Granger.

Lily and the Grangers waited while the healers examined both children since they were almost the same age. Another mediwitch had just moved the other children out of the room when a series of pops startled the witch on duty at Reception. "Avada Kedavra!" spoke one of the masked Death Eaters, pointing his wand at the witch. She died, but not before sounding the alarm.

Voldemort swore, knowing he now had little time to locate Harry Potter. Racing through the wards, he cursed everyone he encountered until at last he burst through the doors into the room that contained Harry and Hermione. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted and something unexpected happened. He had been in such a rush that his aim was off and the curse hit both Harry and Hermione. They had been giggling together and holding hands when it happened.

Albus Dumbledore had warned Lily that Harry might be the one mentioned in a prophecy. Lily couldn't bear the thought of losing Harry as well and being the brightest witch of the time, researched until she found a ritual that she hoped would protect him.

As the curse hit the young baby, it rebounded, destroying the Dark Lord where he stood. Harry's protection evidently worked and had the added effect of protecting Hermione as well. A loud wail from the pair drew an Auror into the room He was astonished to find the pair alive as a smoky apparition fled the scene.

Outside the room, chaos reigned as several Aurors appeared. The fight that ensued was short and vicious and in the end all but one Death Eater was captured. Wormtail had escaped, turning into his rat Animagus form.

Sirius had been waiting with Lily along with Wendell and Monica Granger. The four had struck up a conversation before all hell broke loose. Sirius drew his wand, which startled Wendell and Monica. "Down! Get down! Death Eaters," he shouted.

Wendell and Monica didn't need to be told twice as people were falling all around them. Ducking under a table, they both missed a curse that impacted the table and shattered it.

"Come on Monica, we have to get out of here," Wendell shouted as he searched for another hiding place.

"Not without Hermione!" she shouted back.

A curse hit the pair and they slumped to the floor.

Lily had been stunned but Sirius stood over her, protecting his love and rained curses down on the Death Eaters.

The arrival of the Auror force quickly subdued the attackers and calm slowly returned to the waiting area. Lily was quickly revived and, along with Monica**,** ran to the room where they knew their babies were. Wendell was slowly getting to his feet. "What the hell? What just happened?"

"Death Eaters," Sirius replied shakily. "I need to see Lily and Harry."

"What are Death Eaters?" Wendell exclaimed.

'_Oh, oh, Muggles, this won't be good,'_ he thought.

"Come with me, your wife and my girlfriend are looking for their children. I'll explain later."

Shakily, both mothers took charged of their children.

Lily and the Grangers had only been stunned and were quickly revived. Hearing the wail from the room where their babies were, they rushed in. Aside from a black cloak and white Death Eater mask crumpled on the floor, which the Auror was examining, the two babies were alive and crying. Lily and Monica rushed to their children, gathering them in their arms. After close examination, they were startled to find virtually identical scars on their foreheads. Hermione's was the mirror opposite of Harry's. A healer rushed in and took the babies, to loud protests from their mothers.

"It's alright ladies, I only wish to examine them to see if they're hurt."

Both women reluctantly handed their children over to the mediwitch.

A quick scan of both babies revealed an odd thing. "Ladies," the mediwitch said carefully. "Something odd has happened."

Panic ran through Lily's mind. She had protected Harry! What had happened?

"Don't panic ladies, this is most unusual, but both babies have bonded. I'm not sure how, but the scars on their foreheads have somehow connected and bound them together. This may be only temporary, but it may also be permanent. I'm afraid we'll have to keep them here under observation for a couple of days."

Monica was still trying to come to grips with what she'd seen. People waving sticks and coloured lights coming out of them. People falling. What was happening? She finally found her voice. "What's going on here? Am I going crazy, who are those people waving sticks around?"

'_Uh oh,'_ thought Lily. _'Muggles, but what are they doing here… unless?'_

"Excuse me, my name is Lily Potter. We haven't been introduced properly, but I think your daughter is a witch."

'_How rude,'_ Monica thought. "Lily, is it? My name is Monica Granger. Why would you use such a rude term for my daughter?"

"Oh, my, you don't know, do you? I'm sorry, you must not be aware where you are. Only magicals are admitted to St. Mungo's. Your daughter is magical and, as such, is a witch, as am I. Is this your first time here?"

Monica stood slack jawed at this announcement. "I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. Did you say Hermione is a real broomstick-riding witch?" The wheels inside her mind quickly ground out the disparate facts; Hermione summoning things to her, odd occurrences that seemed to happen when she was upset. Then those lights and funny sticks, people falling over, tables destroyed by the lights.

"Monica, may I call you Monica? Yes, Hermione must be a witch; otherwise you wouldn't be here. My Harry is a wizard and yes, we use broomsticks, but not as a normal means of travel. I'd say you have a lot to learn and maybe I can help you. How old is Hermione?"

Monica paused as she took this news in. "Yes, that would explain some things, Hermione just turned two in September. If you don't mind, Lily, I would like to learn more about this… Wait, did the nurse say Hermione and Harry bonded?"

That little fact had not registered until now with Lily. Her hand shot to her mouth in shock. "Bonded? Surely not? But that would mean…" she trailed off, furiously thinking.

At that moment, Sirius and Wendell entered, looking worried. "Lily, is Harry…"

"He's fine, Sirius, at least we think both children are okay. There is a problem though."

"Monica, are you and Hermione okay? Do you know what's happened? Sirius is it?" Sirius nodded. "Sirius I demand to know what's going on!"

Monica shushed her husband. "We apparently have a witch in the family dear."

Wendell did the only sensible thing and fainted.

Sirius and Lily laughed.

"Big strong man that tries to protect his family, faints," Sirius guffawed.

"Sirius, be nice. Enervate." Lily swished her wand and Wendell awoke.

"What's the problem love? Where's Harry?" Sirius asked.

"The mediwitch has him and Hermione. She says they are bonded Sirius."

"Bonded? But that's not possible."

Monica interrupted this time. "What do you mean bonded? Just what does that mean?"

Sirius started to answer when the mediwitch stepped back in the room, bringing Harry and Hermione. "They're fine, they'll both have that odd scar, probably for the rest of their lives, but no permanent damage was done. They are bonded, however. I'm not sure how closely, only time will tell. As I mentioned, we'd like to keep them a couple of days to be sure they'll be alright. You people are lucky, it's very rare for a couple to bond so young. We should expect great things from them when they get older. I'll meet with you when we release them."

"I'd like to hold my baby before we go," Lily stated.

"And I," Monica reiterated.

"Very well, I'll be back in a half," the mediwitch answered.

Wendell was just starting to get a handle on this when the import of the mediwitch's words impacted. "How did this happen, what did she mean they're bonded?" Looking closer at the pair, he finally noticed the scars. "Those scars, they look like lightning bolts and are mirror images of each other."

Sirius looked closely and paused in reflection. "Indeed they do, how odd. Bonded, the mediwitch said. That simply means they have a connection to each other. How close a connection only time will tell. It's strange, Voldemort could have killed them, but they're alive, and where is he?"

"Destroyed, I reckon," a new voice interrupted. The man was obviously an Auror and stood well over six feet tall and was a dark brown in colour. "My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, my mate found a Death Eater cloak and mask, as well as a wand known to belong to Voldemort. I think he's been defeated, thank Merlin. He also saw a thick oily smoke leave the room, so I'm not sure what that was. I need to take a statement from you four, if you're up to it."

After the Auror left, Lily invited Monica and Wendell to accompany her and Sirius to her home. They agreed after a short discussion about where they were going. "We'll travel by um… magical means, so hang on tightly to each of us. I'll take Monica and Sirius you take Wendell. I can't tell you where I live, so you'll just have to trust us."

Wendell was a bit leery of trusting someone they had just met, but Sirius did help save them. Monica was just happy to learn more from her new friend.

…..


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling I'm just playing in her sand box and make no money from this.

Rating is mature for language and violence.

Ships: Sirius Black/ Lily Evans, Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger

Characters: Sirius Black/ Lily Evans-Potter/ Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger/ Monica Granger/ Wendell Granger

* * *

**Shared Scars **

**Chapter 2: Aftermath and Hogwarts**

Monica and Wendell felt like they were being squeezed through a tube, a very small tube, and they stumbled a bit when they landed… where?

'Where exactly had they landed?' Monica wondered.

"Ah, you'll not be able to see where we live, so I'll have to guide you," Lily stated.

"Lily, I saw Peter in the waiting room. He must have told Voldemort. We're probably not safe here. He knows the secret," Sirius warned.

"Shit! Hogwarts it is then until I can get Albus to change the Fidelius. Excuse me Monica and Wendell, it's not safe here, we have to go to the only place we know is safe. Hang on again, sorry."

A quick Apparition again and they were outside the gates of Hogwarts.

"This is safe?" Wendell shook his head in disbelief? It's a pile of rubble!"

"No, that's just an illusion to fool Muggles… erm, non-magical people," Lily assured them. "Follow me."

They approached the gates and Lily sent her Doe Patronus messenger to the Headmaster.

Monica and Wendell gasped at the beautiful creature that erupted out of Lily's wand.

After a short wait, Albus Dumbledore showed up and let them in. "Lily, Sirius, what are you doing here, and who are these people?"

"Albus, I'd like you to meet Monica and Wendell Granger. They have a daughter, Hermione, that is currently with Harry at St. Mungo's. We were attacked, Albus. Peter Pettigrew gave the secret to Voldemort and he must have traced us to St. Mungo's. Harry and Hermione are fine, but there's a problem. It's not safe at home, I need you to recast the Fidelius," Lily hurriedly explained.

As they continued to the castle, Monica and Wendell gradually became aware that the "pile of rubble" was nothing of the sort. In fact, it soon became clear that they were looking at an enormous medieval castle. Wendell blinked, unable to believe what they were seeing. "Wow!"

"Wow seems inadequate, Wendell," Monica breathed. "Fantastic even doesn't do it justice."

"Ah, first impressions then. You must be Muggles, excuse me, non-magicals. You'll be safe here until we can arrange to change the charm on Lily's house. Sirius, tell me what happened," Albus requested.

Sirius related the events of the afternoon, mentioning that he had seen Peter change to his rat Animagus form and scamper away. "I wish I was quicker, Albus. Peter betrayed us."

"I'll send Remus after him," Albus assured them. "With his nose, he should be able to locate him."

Lily and Monica were conversing quietly. "What did he mean; Peter's a rat Animagus, Lily?"

"An Animagus is a person who can change their form to an animal or other species. Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form is a rat. Fitting in this case! Damn him."

Monica was in awe of what was possible in the wizard world. "Can everyone do this?"

"No, it's a fairly hard gift to master. Sirius and my deceased husband could also do it."

"Sirius? What is his form?" she inquired. "Or is that too personal?"

"Well, we don't like to spread it around since it can be dead useful. You'll have to ask Sirius if he'll tell you. Strictly speaking, even Albus isn't supposed to know, but the Headmaster seems to know everything. My husband was a stag."

"I'm sorry to pry, but you mentioned your husband. He's deceased you said?"

"Yes, James died when struck by lightning almost two years ago. He never got to see his son. It's been hard, but Sirius was our best friend and he's been a great comfort. He's asked me to marry him, but I'm not ready yet."

"Oh! I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, you couldn't know."

"Sirius seems like a nice guy," Monica mused.

"Yes, he's sweet and looks after us. Maybe I'll say yes soon…" Lily trailed off as another thought struck her. "Monica, you heard the healer, she said our children are bonded. If what I know about bonded pairs is true, Harry and Hermione will probably be together sometime in the future…"

"You mean as husband and wife?" Monica startled at the thought. "But, but, will they love each other? I think love should determine whether they marry or not."

"Monica, in the magical world, a bond does just that. Even in the non-magical world, you would say they were meant for each other. They would be completely compatible. We're a bit old fashioned in our world, so I'm going to propose something that may seem barbaric to you, but I assure you it's quite common in our world. I propose we sign a betrothal agreement for our children. Wait, it's not as bad as it seems."

Monica had gasped at this. "Lily, that sort of thing went out almost a century ago."

"It's good protection, Monica. That way nobody can try to break the bond the two of them have. If the bond doesn't take hold, we can mutually dissolve the contract."

"I-I'll have to talk to Wendell about this, Lily. I must say it sounds awful. I'd want my Hermione to choose her own mate."

"As would I for Harry under normal circumstances, but if this bond holds true, we can't take a chance of someone trying to break it by whatever means. There are spells and potions that could be used, and there's a prophecy concerning Harry. I don't like it at all; that's why Harry was attacked today. Unfortunately Hermione is now involved as well."

They had arrived at the castle and Albus ushered them up to his office. Monica and Wendell goggled at the vastness of the castle.

"Wendell, look, the portraits move!"

Lily smiled and whispered, "That's not all they do, watch." She flicked her wand at one portrait and the picture flinched and spoke.

"That's enough of that young lady! Just because you're no longer in school, you still should show some respect."

Lily giggled and Albus threw her an annoyed look. "It looks like James and Sirius have been a bad influence on you, Lily. You were never like this in school."

"So, Lily, young Harry has been marked by Voldemort. You know what this means."

"Hermione was marked as well, Albus," she reminded him. "He's gone, so I think the prophecy has been fulfilled."

"I don't think so, Lily. Sirius tells me a shade of Voldemort seems to have escaped. This is very bad, Lily. I'm afraid he may find a way to come back. Harry may never be safe."

Lily sobbed at this news. "But Albus," she wailed, "Harry's fulfilled his part, and what about Hermione?"

Albus turned this vexing problem over in his mind. True, Harry had defeated Voldemort, but still he existed somewhere, somehow. Perhaps there was another prophecy. "Hermione may be key in solving this puzzle. Mrs. Granger, your daughter will join young Harry at school here when they are of age. Meanwhile, I'd urge you to keep her close to Harry. Perhaps very close as in the same neighbourhood, maybe in adjoining rooms even. I believe Potter Manor…?"

"What a great idea, Albus," Lily exclaimed. "Monica, Wendell, would you like to live with us? There's plenty of room and it would simplify the protection."

"I don't know, Lily. On the surface, it sounds like a wonderful idea, but what of our work? We're dentists and how would that work out?"

Wendell was concerned as well. "This is too sudden. We couldn't impose, and my wife is right, what of our work. Our patients depend on us."

Albus smiled. "I think we can work something out. I can arrange for you to Floo to work and back each day. Lily really has a grand old manor."

"What's a Floo," Monica asked.

"It's a magical fireplace, my dear. One can travel almost anywhere in Britain very quickly. Of course it is a bit dirty, what with a bit of soot, but it cleans up easily. Lily also has house elves that can transport you as well, but that's a bit tricky since non-magical folks mustn't see them.

"Lily, you'll have to acquaint the Grangers with the law about Wizarding secrecy."

"Certainly, Albus. So what do you say, we'll stay here until Albus can properly ward Potter Mansion again and we can decide what's best then?"

Monica conferred briefly with her husband and they decided to accept Lily's kind offer.

"Then it's settled," Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling. I'll arrange for your rooms for your stay here. Dinner in the Great Hall should be about to be served. If you'll accompany me?"

Dinner was another new experience for the Grangers. Sirius and Lily smiled as they remembered their first experience at a Halloween feast. Of course, they didn't know one another then, but some things never changed: the floating candles, the huge pumpkins, the bats and of course, the ghosts. Albus had sat them at the staff table beside himself and his Deputy.

Wendell shivered as he felt a cold presence drift through him, only to come face to face with Nearly Headless Nick. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, if you please," the ghost remarked when introduced.

"Hi Nick," Sirius joked. "Seen Peeves around lately?"

"Oh, Peevsie's here, Sirius," the poltergeist mocked, aiming an inkbottle at him.

Sirius ducked in time and Peeves scowled at yet another miss of the famous prankster. Sirius leaned over and whispered something in Lily's ear and she laughed.

Albus introduced his guests to the teaching staff. "Minerva McGonagall, you remember Lily and Sirius of course. These other two fine people are Monica and Wendell Granger. Their daughter, Hermione, will be attending this school in a few years, as will young Harry Potter. Minerva is our Transfiguration professor and my Deputy Headmistress. Next is Filius Flitwick, our very capable Charms master. Horace Slughorn is our Potions Professor, Septima Vector is our Arithmancy Professor, Bathsheba Babbling teaches Ancient Runes and Rubeus Hagrid is Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. There are several other professors not present at the moment, perhaps you'll meet them later."

The Great Hall was filled with students, who generally ignored the newcomers. A deep murmur settled throughout the hall as students and staff conversed with one another.

Monica noticed the giant of a man introduced as Rubeus Hagrid. He seemed a jovial sort, if a bit intimidating by his very size. "Dear," she addressed her husband, "isn't this quite extraordinary?"

"Quite, my dear. Overwhelming, really. I say, there are more ghosts floating through the walls!"

"Look at the ceiling, Wendell. You'd think we were outside."

Lily commented on this. "It's charmed to mimic the sky outside. It's really quite amazing during a storm."

The food appeared quite suddenly on golden platters. The plates and cutlery were also gold, although the cutlery was much lighter than it should have been. "Is this real gold?" Wendell asked Lily.

"Oh yes, but it's been charmed to not be too heavy. We use the real metal, since it doesn't deteriorate and is quite inert, less chance of accidental contamination that way. Of course the house elves keep everything spotless. Goodness knows what we'd do without them."

The food was quite delicious and soon it was time to retire for the night. It had been a full day.

Minerva took it upon herself to escort the quartet to their quarters for the night. "Lily, Sirius, it's good to see you again. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you'll be comfortable for your stay here. You will be staying in adjacent rooms in our guest quarters. Lily, are you and Sirius…?"

"No, Minerva, separate bedrooms, please."

"Very well, this room beside mine should serve you well. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, you'll be staying next to Lily and Sirius."

"Thank you Professor, please call us Monica and Wendell," Monica replied.

"Thank you Monica, it's Minerva to my friends," she smiled.

Sirius smirked, He knew the old professor was a bit straight-laced and Lily read her like a book. He'd be sharing a bed with Lily, but Minerva needn't know.

Little did they know, that Minerva could also read the pair better than they thought, and knew they would be sharing a bed tonight.

…

The next morning, Sirius awoke with a mass of auburn hair in his face and a weight on his chest. Then he remembered. Lily had finally said yes and they'd consummated their love that night.

A very naked Lily groaned and pulled him closer, snuggling into his side and hoarding his body heat, her leg draped over his torso. "Mff, what time is it, love?" she asked groggily.

Sirius reached for his wand and cast a Tempus spell and pronounced it half seven. "Can we stay in bed today Lily Flower?" Sirius had taken to calling her that lately and she liked it.

"Afraid not, Siri," she replied. "We have to check on Harry and Hermione. I'm sure the Grangers will want to know how they are as well. Hopefully Albus will reset the wards today and we can return home. Siri, did I really say yes last night?"

Sirius grinned and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "You did," he replied simply. "You've made me very happy. I love you, Lily Flower."

"Sirius, what about Harry and Hermione?"

"What about them, love?"

"I was talking to Monica last evening before we ate and suggested a Betrothal Agreement between the two."

"Lily, why? Do you even know the implications of that? Why would you suggest such a thing? I know the bond would seem to suggest that as a good idea, but once the papers are signed and filed with the Goblins, there's no backing out. Can you do that to Harry and Hermione?"

"Sirius, I've been thinking of that all day, since the mediwitch told us. It'll protect them, Siri. I can't lose Harry too! I'd forgotten that the Goblins would enforce the contract, once signed. I'll have to tell Monica and Wendell. That may be a sticking point with them. I hope not, since they'll want to protect Hermione just as much as we want to protect Harry."

"You're not thinking straight Lily, oh it'll protect them alright. It'll also give them no choice if the bond fails. We won't know for months if the bond is stable or not. Wait until we're sure."

Lily groaned, caught between what she knew in her heart was right and what Sirius was trying to warn her about. "We daren't wait too long. You heard Albus, Voldemort will probably come back somehow. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it'll be. There are those out there that will try and take advantage of Hermione when they find out. The Betrothal Agreement will shut that off. Monica and Wendell are Muggles, for heaven's sake. Our government won't even try to protect them from unscrupulous families. The Malfoys would love to get their hands on Hermione. She'd be the answer to their prayers: the continuation of the Malfoy line. You know purebloods have a difficult time conceiving. Without a Muggle born every now and then, the purebloods would be so interbred that the line would die out. They're already producing more squibs than the halfbloods or the Muggle born. Why do you think James was so set on me? Sure we loved each other, but old man Charlus Potter told him he'd better find a nice Muggle born or the Potter line risked dying out. James was their last hope after Dorea was only able to have James. She lost two in childbirth."

Sirius was shocked at what Lily had told him. He'd left his family before his father had given him a similar talk. "Damn! I didn't know." Then he smirked. "I guess I'm lucky then, I have you and I want more kids."

Lily blushed and smiled softly. "We'll see, Siri, we'll see."

…

Wendell and Monica were awake as well and Monica was relaying Lily's proposal to her disbelieving husband. "She wants to do what? Is that a Marriage Contract she's talking about? I won't have it! That's barbaric. Monica, Hermione should have freedom of choice for her future husband. We barely know the Potters and Sirius. This is completely insane!"

"Wendell, honey, Lily makes a strong case. She says they can back out if the bond doesn't take."

"And you believe that? Monica, we've just been introduced to the magical world, what do we know what's true and what isn't? And what protection is she talking about anyway?"

"Lily explained to me that there are many unscrupulous pureblood families out there that would love to get their hands on a Muggle born witch. They're becoming desperate to continue their family line. What with the inbreeding that has occurred over centuries, there's a real fear the old-line families will die out. That's why it makes sense to protect Hermione this way. Face it Wendell, we have no status in the Wizarding world. They can just take Hermione and breed her like a brood mare and there would be nothing we could do to stop them. Lily was up front about this with me and this Betrothal Agreement would offer her proper protection."

Wendell sighed, knowing when he was beaten by his wife's logic. She was smarter than him in any case, although he didn't consider himself dumb by any means. Both of them had scored well on their A level exams and were in the top percentile in college.

"All right, we'll talk to them. Do you think Sirius will marry Lily?" he smirked.

"Want to bet he's already proposed and she's accepted?" she dared him.

"Uh uh, I could see the way they looked at each other at dinner last night. I'd bet they both would up in the same bed, despite what Lily said to Minerva."

"No bet there, sweetheart. I saw the same thing you did."

"Do you think they're up yet? I'm a bit hungry. God, that was a good dinner last night."

"Yes, I'm hungry too. I wish I could cook like that! Let's get dressed. Last one into the shower is a wet hen." And with that, she leapt out of bed and raced to the shower, Wendell close behind.

…..


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling I'm just playing in her sand box and make no money from this.

Rating is mature for language and violence.

Ships: Sirius Black/ Lily Evans, Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger

Characters: Sirius Black/ Lily Potter-Black/ Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger/ Monica Granger/ Wendell Granger

* * *

**Shared Scars**

**Chapter 3: Moving In**

When Lily, Sirius and the Grangers made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Monica glanced at Lily and Sirius and knew she'd been right. "So, Lily? Did he?"

A broad smile broke out on Lily's and Sirius' faces. "Yes, Monica and I accepted!" Lily held out her hand sporting a new engagement ring of solid platinum with a center emerald surrounded by a spray of diamonds.

Albus and Minerva admired the ring, but Monica let out a small squeak.

"It's beautiful Lily. Pay me, Wendell," she demanded of her husband, and Wendell reluctantly handed over a ten-pound note.

Word had leaked out about the death of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That morning**,** in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a parliament of owls descended with the morning post. The headlines in the Daily Prophet told the story.

**The Daily Prophet**

**November 1, 1980**

**He-Who-Must Not-Be-Named defeated by two babies.**

_You-Know-Who dead at last! Yesterday, at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, two babies somehow survived a killing curse and managed to defeat the Dark Lord. Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter was on hand at St. Mungo's covering the survivors of an earlier attack that had occurred in Diagon Alley. Death Eaters, including the Dark Lord, Apparated into the reception area of St. Mungo's and started stunning people. The first curse thrown was the killing curse against the receptionist. Trainee mediwitch Carol Midwalk was killed instantly and pandemonium broke out. Several witches and wizards were injured when the Death Eaters started firing randomly. One wizard (name withheld) fought back, severely injuring at least three Death Eaters and stunning several more. The Dark Lord swore and raced to a room known to contain babies in for examination._

_Sources confirm that a killing curse was thrown at fifteen-month-old Harry James Potter, a half blood wizard, and two year old Hermione Jane Granger, a Muggle born witch. Both children survived and each apparently carries a scar on their forehead. Parents of both children were stunned in the waiting area, but were revived when Aurors showed up in force. The Death Eaters were taken into custody, although no word has been spoken about the fate of the Dark Lord. A robe and wand were recovered from the room and it is assumed You-Know-Who was incinerated when the curse rebounded off the children._

_One asks how could a pair of babies and especially a muggle born defeat such a powerful wizard. (details on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his reign of terror on page 10 through 15.)_

_(See page 2 for pictures.)_

_(See page 7 through 9, and 16 for additional stories.)_

_(See page 19 for details on the lives of the two children and their parents.)_

Lily was outraged when she read the story. "That's… that's… Ooh, that woman. How can she report those lies?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Which part, love?"

"Read page nineteen, Siri. It's all made up. None of what she wrote is anywhere near the truth!"

Sirius gently took the paper from his betrothed and read the offending piece. He almost choked on his food when he read the part about Monica and Wendell. "Don't show this to the Grangers," he warned. Some of this is libellous. And where did she get the idea that you stole James' estate? You were his wife for Merlin's sake. Oh, I see, she quotes an old ministry law that purports to deny Muggle born wives from inheriting. That's bollocks, that law was thrown out fifty years ago."

"There's more, Siri," Lily fumed. Read page ten."

Sirius flipped to the correct page and scowled. "Why that vicious bitch! That's an attack directly on the children!"

The Grangers had been listening and Wendell was working himself into a rant. A soft hand on his calmed him before he could get started. "Leave it, dear," Monica softly admonished. "There's nothing we can do about it now."

Lily was proud of her new friend. Monica seemed to be the calming influence in their life.

Albus had also read the paper and calmly incinerated it with a wave of his wand. "Pay no attention to what is written in the paper by that woman," he addressed his guests. "Rita is paid for sensational reporting and most of it bears little semblance to the truth. I advise you to avoid public statements to the press."

…..

After breakfast, Albus and Lily Apparated to just outside the gates to Potter Manor. Both of them could see the manor house since Albus had cast the Fidelius charm and Lily was the owner.

"I'll need you to go inside, Lily. I'll start the charm from outside and you will be the secret keeper this time. The magic will recognise you inside, once I cast it. Best be seated at the center of the manor for the charm to take proper effect. The ground floor will be suitable since the magic will flow upward and a small amount down into the ground. Concentrate on the complete address and once it's complete, I will call you and you can guide me inside. I'll not have access until you allow it. Anyone else you wish to have access will have to be told the address as well. Guard this information well, since anyone with the address will be able to walk in. I'd advise setting additional wards as well. Sirius will be able to help with this, since the Black properties are all well protected."

Lily entered the house and seated herself at a marked spot she had often wondered about in the downstairs hallway. _'So that's where the ward was set last time,'_ she thought. She felt a sudden shift in the surrounding magic as she concentrated on the address. _**'I live at Number one, Potter Lane, Godric's Hollow, Wales.'**_ She thought.

Albus presently called her and she walked outside to guide him in. When she told him the address, he laughed. "Number one Potter Lane would have been sufficient my dear. It's a good idea though. If you or anyone else is forced to give the location, they will need the complete address and most would not be aware of that."

Lily blushed at that, murmuring that she wanted to make sure this time.

"Excellent, ten points to Gryffindor. Oh, right, you're no longer in school, but I think I'll award the points anyway," Albus smiled.

After they returned to Hogwarts, Lily met with Sirius and wrote the address down and made him memorize it. Then she vanished the bit of parchment.

After a tour of the school for the benefit of the Grangers, the group left in the late afternoon for Godric's Hollow. Wendell and Monica were thrilled and awed at the sheer size and magnificence of Hogwarts.

Arriving just outside the gates to Potter Manor once more, Lily and Sirius guided the Grangers past the ward and into the foyer of the mansion.

Lily then told them the secret and warned then not to divulge the address to anyone. "There are ways to tear the secret from you, but I think it's unlikely that anyone would think that Muggles would be told.

Monica and Wendell shivered at the idea of someone learning the secret from them.

"My word," Monica gasped at the magnificence of the manor. "I had no idea… It's huge!"

Wendell was having trouble imagining the size of this building. It seemed to go on forever.

"It is a bit big for our needs, but James told me that it's been passed down for hundreds of years when a lot more relatives stayed here and families were larger. I think there are twelve bedrooms plus a master suite, two kitchens, a formal dining room that seats twenty plus a smaller family dining room, a large library, and let's see, um, oh yes, each bedroom has an en-suite, complete with a shower and large bathtub. There are several sitting rooms and a master's den. I've kind of lost track of some of the things that are here. The grounds cover just over a thousand acres and there are stables for horses. There's a nice swimming pool in the basement as well as a private lake close to the back of the manor. The main building covers four floors and there are a few outbuildings for storage and whatnot. The previous Lord Potter modernized the manor, so other than electrical items, everything else is up to date. I was going to see if I could somehow get proper electricity to work in here, but the warding and inherent magic has stymied me so far. Of course, I haven't had much time to work on that, since most of my time was taken up with Harry and the death of James. I still have some wards to erect and Sirius will have to help with that.

"Oh, I almost forgot. House elves. Where are Tanni and Wink?"

Sirius answered. "I sent them to my family vault at Gringotts. They must be having trouble with the Goblins."

The two elves popped in when called. "Mistress Lily called?" the older elf, Tanni, asked.

Tanni was one of the old Potter house elves and was of indeterminate age, but wore the Potter crest and a neat uniform with pride.

"Mistress Lily has guests," Wink rejoined. "Does Mistress Lily wish to assign them rooms close to the master suite?" Wink was an ebullient counter to Tanni and much younger. The Potter crest and uniforms were neatly starched and pressed and were of a deep blue colour with red and gold accents.

"Yes, Wink. Show Monica and Wendell Granger to the Oak room please. I think you'll like the bedroom, Monica. When you're settled in, Wink will show you to the main sitting room for a late evening snack before you retire for the night. You will find a selection of books in your room that may amuse you. I'm sorry, but no dental journals though." She smiled. "We'll meet you there when you are ready."

When Monica and Wendell had been shown to their room, Monica collapsed on the large four-poster bed and sighed. "This is like a dream, Wendell. It's too much!"

"Well, if this is a dream, I'd rather not wake up," he replied.

Later**,** in the sitting room, snacks were consumed along with some very fine wine.

"Tomorrow we'll pick up the children and see where we go from there," Lily told them. "Monica, I'm sorry I didn't tell you all the details of the Betrothal Contract. It's silly of me, but in the heat of getting us safe at Hogwarts, I may have missed an important detail. Once the agreement is signed there is no backing out. I'd forgotten that and Sirius reminded me. Their magic will combine when the agreement is signed, and by signed, I mean signed in blood. There is a place where a drop of their blood is placed to seal the agreement. I had to mention this, but I think it's the best protection we can give them. Let's wait a few months while their bond stabilizes and then decide. It'll give you a bit of time to think about it. Meanwhile I'm going to post a formal notice of the coming betrothal to ward off unwanted advances the purebloods might attempt. Once it's published, no pureblood would be able to interfere."

"Lily," Wendell started. "This all seems so… draconian. Is this really necessary?

"Didn't Monica tell you what I told her about the purebloods and their low birth-rates? You really can't take a chance Wendell. If this isn't done, some of the very worst sort could claim Hermione, or Harry for that matter, in a binding formal Betrothal Contact with no outs and no choice. I'd have a very few legal protections, more when Sirius and I marry, but you'd have none. Muggles just don't count in our legal system. Which reminds me; the law forbids you to talk about magic to a non-magical. The penalties are quite severe. They have no way of monitoring this on a Muggle, but if we perform spells in sight of a non-magical, except for those with a witch or wizard in the immediate family, we could be jailed."

Monica and Wendell shuddered at this. Sirius had confided in Wendell about Azkaban, the Wizarding prison.

"We understand Lily." Wendell acknowledged. "I'd like to think about the Betrothal Agreement for a few days, and I think Monica does too." Monica nodded in agreement.

…..

Lying in bed that night, Lily wondered aloud if they were doing the right thing. "I know we have to do something to protect the children. Merlin knows the press would like to tear them apart, never mind the purebloods. Siri, are we doing the right thing?"

"Lily Flower," he replied softly, "Harry and Hermione have bonded. You saw the mirror scars. They're identical mirror images of each other, down to the smallest detail. This is a bond that will not break, I assure you. I'm not a healer, but I'm willing to bet that's what they'll say tomorrow. We're doing the right thing."

"Wendell and Monica really are nice people, aren't they, Sirius?"

"Yes dear. Now come here, I want to ravish my soon to be wife."

Lily giggled: after all, the night was still young.

…..

In the Granger's room, a similar conversation was taking place.

"Really, Wendell, I don't see many downsides to this agreement. Didn't you see the two scars? They're identical except mirror images. How strange is that? The chances are millions to one against that happening. If indeed the pair share a connection, then we have nothing to worry about and we'll know for sure tomorrow."

"What if something goes wrong? What if one of them is killed? What effect would that have?" Wendell worried.

"Then we'll have to discuss that with Lily and the healers, won't we. Relax, dear, it could be the best thing to happen to us. With the bias there obviously is in this society, I'd rather Hermione have all the protection we can give her. You've seen a bit of this house… no, manor; this is better than we could have ever dreamed about. And I'm not just talking about the money. Lily and Sirius are wonderful people; we could hope to be as good friends to them as they are to us. On top of that, we can still work at our practice."

…..

The next morning, the Grangers were first up and showered and Wink showed them to the family breakfast nook.

"Mistress Lily and Master Sirius will be down shortly. Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Tea, please, a bit of cream and no sugar for both of us," Monica answered.

Seconds later, two steaming hot cups of delicious tea appeared in front of them, along with biscuits and jam.

A few minutes later, a very tired looking Sirius Black appeared, yawning widely. "'Morning, sleep well?"

Wink had a steaming cup of coffee set in front of him and he quickly gulped it down, almost burning his mouth. "Wink, a tad too hot, but I'd like another please."

That had awakened him sufficiently to deal with the day.

Right behind him, Lily appeared, chipper and smiling. "Oh, is the big bad dog still sleepy?" she smirked. "Did I keep you awake, dearest?" The predatory smile told the Grangers everything they didn't need to know.

"Lily," Sirius warned. "We have guests."

Lily had apparently forgotten and blushed a light pink. "Sorry," she said lightly. "Tea please, Wink."

Wink was already pouring the tea the way Mistress Lily liked it.

"Thank you, Wink. Where is Tanni?"

"Tanni is straightening up the bedrooms, Mistress Lily. He will be here after he finishes preparing the nursery. Mistress forgot to mention that Master Harry had a bond mate. Mistress Hermione will share the nursery with Master Harry, if that's alright?"

Lily looked at Monica with raised eyebrows.

Monica thought a moment and nodded. "Yes, that's fine I think. They'll probably need to spend time in close proximity, wouldn't they?"

"I have no idea, but it sounds logical," Lily answered. "We'll check with the healer today."

"There is one other thing we have to ask the healer, Lily," Monica's voice grave. "What happens if one dies? What of the other? What of the bond? It's a horrible thing to think of, but we have to know."

Lily gulped. "I-I don't know. That's quite disconcerting. We'll have to find out."

…..


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKRowling I'm just playing in her sand box and make no money from this.

Rating is mature for language and violence.

Ships: Sirius Black/ Lily Evans, Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger

Characters: Sirius Black/ Lily Potter-Black/ Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger/ Monica Granger/ Wendell Granger

* * *

**Shared Scars **

**Chapter 4: A Wedding and Surprises**

Arriving at St. Mungo's, Lily, Sirius and the Grangers surveyed the area. Sirius didn't want a repeat of their last visit. It seemed quiet and so they entered the old building. A new receptionist greeted them and they were soon escorted to Harry and Hermione. Lily and Sirius noticed the Auror guard on the door. After identifying themselves and presenting their wands for inspection, the four were allowed in. The next thing they noticed besides the healer was another guard in familiar Auror coloured robes inside. Sirius recognized Auror John Dawlish and greeted him. "Hello John, what's the big deal? Who's your mate outside?"

"Hello Sirius, that's Frank Longbottom. He was a year ahead of you in school. His wife is Alice and they have a son a couple of days older than Harry. Their house was attacked yesterday, but they managed to escape. Frank's mother Augusta wasn't so lucky though. She wound up in the burn unit here. Frank likes to keep close while Alice looks after Neville. They rotate shifts so one or the other is always here. We're here to keep Harry and Hermione safe. There are a lot of people interested in them right now. Word has gotten out and I've had to curse a couple of the more persistent ones that have tried to get a peek at them. One witch even tried to grab Hermione. She's in the cells at the ministry, now charged with attempted kidnapping."

Monica and Wendell gasped at this. No wonder Lily wanted to protect them.

"So, John, quiet days, yeah?" Lily joked.

John apparently didn't find it funny and just scowled. "Just doing our job, Lily. Personally, I hope you can take them home today. It's a bit creepy trying to keep the flaming public away. The looky-loo's are driving us batty."

The healer had finished checking the babies and turned to Lily and Monica. "Well, missus, the babies are fine. The bond is strong and will take. I'd give it a month to stabilize and then you can separate them. In the meantime, I'd advise keeping them in the same room, as close together as possible."

Lily broached the question that Monica and she had worried about. "Um, we had a question, more of a concern really," she hesitantly asked. "What happens if the unthinkable happens and one of the children d-dies?"

"Hmm. That's a tough question. In the short term it might be traumatic to the survivor, but he or she should recover given time. Later on though, that might be a problem. If one dies, I'm not sure if the other would survive very long. At the very least it might drive the survivor insane. As the bond strengthens, it will affect their magical cores as well as their higher brain functions. In a few years, they will probably be able to share thoughts and emotions. Pain in one, will likely be felt in both. On the other hand, they will share their powers and will certainly be more powerful than if they hadn't bonded. Of course, you realise that marriage is inevitable. One other thing; this scar that they share… I can't tell you anything about it. What effect it will have on them is anybody's guess at this time. It is truly one scar, not two as it appears. If one were removed, likely the other would be gone as well. I wouldn't try to tamper with it, it could have unforeseen consequences."

Monica and Lily both turned pale at this. This was unexpected.

Sirius and Wendell moved to comfort their ladies and soon they were gathering the babies, preparing to depart. With John and Alice clearing the way, they rushed to the Floo. Then a problem became apparent; how to get the babies safely home without separating them. The Floo would accept a parent and a baby but not both babies and a parent. While they tried to figure this out, Wink and Tanni appeared.

"Mistress Lily, we can take the babies together. We don't need the Floo as we can use elf magic to transport," Tanni assured them.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll go first and put the pair down for their nap when Wink transports them and then Sirius can bring Wendell. I'll come back and bring Monica. Wink can keep an eye on the babies until we all arrive. Tanni can bring the potions the healer has provided plus what ever else we've left."

"Sounds like a plan," Sirius agreed.

Twenty minutes later, they were all back at Potter Manor, with the kids sleeping in the nursery.

….

Albus had come through for them and connected the Floo with password protection and had the Magical Floo Department install one in their old home in Broom, Biggleswade, near Shefford, north east of London. Their office in Shefford was a few minutes drive from home, or what they now regarded as their former home.

This could work, they both thought. Lily tested the Floo and then showed the Grangers how to travel and the password to return. "The password here is 'black magic' and your destination to your old home is 'broom closet'."

The pair laughed at this and prepared to test the connections for themselves. Two successful trips later, they sat down for lunch after checking on Harry and Hermione. Both were sound asleep and had managed to move their beds close together and their hands had found each other's and had clasped.

"Ooh how sweet," Monica and Lily moaned together. The men just laughed, but knew this was a major event in the childrens' lives.

….

Albus Dumbledore was still working through the problem of the BWL versus the GWL. The prophecy couldn't refer to both, so which one did it refer to? Did it refer to either or is it entirely invalid? Tough questions that had no answer yet.

Remus had yet to report in with regard to Pettigrew, but he had faith in the young werewolf. Lupin would find Peter and then heaven help the traitor.

….

Lucius Malfoy was in a bit of a bind. His master was apparently dead, killed by a pair of babies. The Dark Lord promised that he was immortal but how could that be. More pressing was the question of his young son Draco, It was only after extraordinary effort that Narcissa was able to conceive. Draco didn't exhibit the power he'd expected from his heir. True, he was still very young, but he hadn't even shown accidental magic so far. If he were a squib, he'd have to get rid of him. The other problem was to match him with a powerful witch that could bear him children and thus continue the Malfoy line. This brought him to the report in the Daily Prophet and the mention of the Mudblood witch that helped defeat his master. Perhaps he could take advantage of that power. He'd have to plan it carefully and enlist the help of his friend Cornelius Fudge. Surely he could arrange a Betrothal Agreement between the Mudblood and Draco. After all, her parents couldn't stand against him. He was a pureblood and they were less than human Muggles. It should be easy. He hated the idea of Mudbloods, but was smart enough to realise that the Malfoy line might die out without an infusion of new blood. He grimaced at the thought, but accepted it as a necessary evil. _'I can always get rid of her once she produces a male heir,'_ he thought.

….

Lily and Sirius continued to plan their wedding. Monica was drafted to help and Wendell agreed to be his best man.

Tanni and Wink took care of the manor arrangements, food, decorating, flowers from the greenhouse and a myriad of other details.

Lily wanted a new wedding dress, as the one from her wedding with James, no longer fit. Harry had progressed to baby food and no longer nursed from Lily, but Lily still had not regained her former figure yet. A trip to Muggle London was called for and that meant a trip to Gringotts.

Guest lists were drawn up and a day was finally decided. It was now early November and the wedding was set for the 21st. Plans had come together quite well and**,** as the day approached, a hitch developed.

The Prophet had published the notice of Harry and Hermione's betrothal but Lucius Malfoy had ignored it and pushed forward his own agenda. The next day a similar notice was posted of a betrothal between Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger.

Monica panicked. "Can he do that? Is it legal?"

"I warned you, Monica," Lily said. "This changes things. We'll have to push up the wedding day and then Sirius can adopt Harry into the Black family. After that, Hermione's betrothal will be unassailable since the Black family is senior to the Malfoys."

Sirius and Wendell had paid attention and supported the idea. Now, all that had to be done was their wedding and Harry's adoption, before Malfoy could push for custody of Hermione.

….

Thinking he had secured the Mudblood witch, Lucius made a classic mistake. He delayed pushing for custody, thinking to twist the knife a bit in the Grangers, making them sweat. After all, the Muggles couldn't stand in the way of a pureblood. A few more days wouldn't make any difference to him, but he could imagine what the Grangers would be going through.

Imagine his surprise when his claim was denied at the end of the month. A Floo call to Fudge had him fuming.

"Lucius, you waited too long to claim her. Lily Potter married Sirius Black, adopted Harry Potter and the betrothal between Harry Potter-Black and Hermione Granger was approved."

"WHAT? But my claim went in first!"

"Actually, it didn't, but it wouldn't have made any difference. The Black line is senior to the Malfoy line and Sirius Black's claim has precedence."

Lucius was speechless with anger. Defeated by a Black, of all things, and Narcissa was a Black, but Sirius was head of family. He was already planning his revenge.

….

"Whew, that was close," Sirius exclaimed to his new wife. "A day or two later and Lucius would have had Hermione. Thank Merlin he delayed claiming custody of her." Sirius laughed. "I'll bet he's twisted himself into a right knot now. You do know that Harry is heir to the Potter line as well as my heir. That may be important in the future."

"I did work that out Siri," Lily let out a sigh of relief, "Monica was practically sweating blood these last days. Wendell looked like he could kill Malfoy for even thinking he could snatch Hermione away from her family. Thank Merlin it all worked out. You know I love you, Sirius!"

"I love you too Lily Flower. Come on Wife, to bed, now!"

Lily giggled as Sirius casually lifted her and strode into their bedroom and carried her to bed.

The couple wasn't seen for two days, except by Wink, bringing in food.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione's bond was growing stronger day by day. Accidental magic between the pair was a common occurrence now. Toys were levitated and shared, passed between the pair as they played. Hermione spoke her first words in early December and by Christmas both were talking. Monica had worried when Hermione had seemed late in talking before they met Lily, Sirius and Harry. Now they talked constantly.

Christmas was a wondrous time in the Black and Granger household.

They had invited their friends over for Christmas dinner and Albus, Minerva, Filius and Poppy had arrived, along with a tired looking Remus. Alice and Frank Longbottom, along with their son Neville, and Arthur and Molly Weasley and their sons Bill, Charlie, Percy, George and Fred and babies Ron and Ginevra had been invited and attended as well. Ginevra was still very young and was still in her mother's arms. It was a fairly large gathering but the manor had plenty of room. The formal dining room was used, only for the second time. Albus had brought two of the Hogwarts house elves to help Tanni and Wink. The only guests missing were Hagrid and Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody. Hagrid was keeping an eye on Hogwarts and Moody was searching for several of the remaining Death Eaters, but aside from the Lestrange brothers, and a couple of low level followers, was hard put to bring them in.

The children were introduced to everyone and then fed and put down for the night. Several people commented how close they seemed, almost as if they were twins. Harry and Hermione had giggled together and the few words they spoke were spoken together. Molly gaped at this, since her twins usually completed each other's sentences. Harry and Hermione were obviously not twins.

Just after Christmas, the babies seemed to stop talking altogether. This worried the parents. As the holidays passed, Harry and Hermione continued to grow. Their magic was starting to stabilize and their parents began to suspect that they could communicate without speaking, as each seemed to know exactly what the other wanted when they played together.

Another trip to St. Mungo's confirmed that the bond was rock solid. Even the healers were astounded at how quickly it had grown. Both children seemed to be unnaturally quiet and a few tests confirmed that they communicated with each other silently.

Lily and Sirius hoped that this wouldn't isolate the children, but later, as they gained a larger vocabulary, their fears proved to be unfounded. The spontaneous laughter and interaction with their parents was a joy to them all.

One morning, Lily caught Sirius teaching Harry and Hermione how to fly a pair of toy broomsticks he had snuck into the manor. Lily went ballistic.

"Sirius," she screeched, "What do you think you're doing? They're much too young to be on broomsticks!"

At that moment, Harry and Hermione zoomed around the parents, giggling madly. Monica and Wendell happened to enter the room at that moment and stood agape at the antics as their daughter and Harry nearly crashed into them.

"What? Lily, what's happening?" Monica finally managed.

"A moment Monica," Lily cautioned.

"Harry, Hermione, come down here!" she commanded and cast a cushioning charm at the pair of daredevils.

Reluctantly, the pair landed, knowing they were in trouble. "S-sorry," they both replied.

"It's alright, children. We don't want you to get hurt. I think we'll wait a bit before we allow you to fly. In any case, there will be no flying inside the manor."

Monica and Wendell didn't know what to make of the children flying around the room. Admittedly, the room was large enough, but there were obstacles that could cause injury.

"I'll deal with you later, Sirius Orion Black!" Lily intoned.

"Yes dear," he replied meekly. Sirius knew he was in trouble just by the glare that his wife gave him. She never used his full name unless he was due for some serious pain.

"Monica, Wendell, I'm sorry. My husband seems to have fallen back on his old ways of not thinking things through before making a rash decision. Harry's father, James, was an excellent flyer and Sirius assumed Harry would be too. We'll teach them properly, outside, once the weather warms up. Right now, they seem to be naturals, but inside the manor is an inappropriate place for them to learn. I'm truly sorry, they could have been hurt."

Wendell had been smiling when he saw has daughter flying, but a glance from his wife(, wiped the smile off his face. He knew it was no joking matter.

"Thank you Lily," Monica replied. "It was amazing to watch them, but my heart almost stopped when they almost flew into us. The children did seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves**,** though. Is it too soon to teach them how to swim? We should try to stimulate them in some sport to keep them active. Winter is a poor time to be outside in this climate."

"This climate… Hmm, Sirius, we do have a summer getaway in the Mediterranean. Can you two spare a couple of weeks next month? The weather should be much warmer than here."

Monica and Wendell had been commuting to work and the Floo system worked well for them. February was a slow time of year for them, so after a quick consultation, they readily accepted the idea of a mid-winter vacation.

"That's a great idea, Lily," Wendell answered. "We can clear our schedule easily since it's a slow period in February. We used to go skiing in the Alps, but since Hermione was born, we've put it off for the past two years. Will we have to make reservations? We have our passports."

Sirius replied, "No, we'll Portkey to our summer home. You'll like it: it's a small island near Mallorca; very private and we have strong wards there to prevent unauthorized access."

It was decided. They would leave the last two weeks of February and be back home be March First.

That night, however, Sirius slept on the couch, after a thorough scolding by Lily.

…..


End file.
